What it Takes to Be a Lawyer
by RockinChick06
Summary: When his parents announce that he will soon be a big brother, Itachi must decide what is more important to him; protecting his new baby brother, or following his father's footsteps to become the best lawyer Konoha has ever seen. Rated M for dark themes, prostitution, and drug abuse in later chapters. UPDATED WEEKLY!
1. No Thank You, Father

A/N: Hey all! Originally this was going to be the prologue for another story, originally titled How to Be a Big Brother, but I have decided to split it into two separate stories: What it Takes to Be a Lawyer and What it Takes to Be a Big Brother. I apologize for the confusion if you read what I had originally posted as How to Be a Big Brother. I have touched up the content that was originally in that story and split into the first three chapters. New content begins at Chapter 4.

Although I have been a long time reader on this website, this I my first attempt to write my own story, so please keep the reviews coming. I know I am not a great writer, but I love constructive criticism to make this story the best it can be!

* * *

 **THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1994**

"Itachi, how would you like to have a little brother?" The famous words that every only child dreads.

I looked up from my book to see mother and father at the doorway. Father had his arms wrapped around mother, holding his large hands over hers on her slightly rounded belly. Of course, I already knew she was pregnant. What other explanation is there for her expanding belly? Uchiha women aren't allowed to gain weight.

The Uchiha clan is known as the most prestigious, wealthy family in Konoha. Not only do we have inherited wealth, but we also run the largest law firm in Japan, Uchiha Corp. When Konoha was first developed, my great ancestor was one of the founding members and bought a quarter of the land, known as the Uchiha District. This is where Uchiha Corp. is now located, along with all the Uchiha housing. My family is the head of the clan, so we live closest to Uchiha Corp., on the border between Uchiha District and the rest of Konoha.

Our clan consists of approximately 100 families, all of which work for Uchiha Corp. Anyone male who decides not to is disowned from the family and kicked from the district. Any bride of an Uchiha must be chosen by the clan elders. With hundreds of women applying daily to enter the Uchiha family, there is no lack of choices. The women selected must meet certain standards of beauty, including long, dark hair, thin limbs, and the palest of skin. Father, being not only the patriarch of my immediate family, but also the entire clan, was arranged to marry the most beautiful woman in Konoha. This is what led me to believe several weeks ago, when I noticed Mother's growing stomach, that she must be pregnant. Mother is very proud of her beauty, and there is no way she would have gained so much weight through eating.

Father is looking at me expectantly, awaiting an answer. He enjoys testing me to make sure that my education is up to par. Why else would my parents be asking me such a question, considering they have clearly already made up their minds to have another child. Clearly, I should want a sibling. But, if my parents already have me as an heir, why do they want another son? If I am being trained to take Father's position, why would they need another son? Perhaps, mother was hoping for another female in the family. Daughters in the Uchiha family aren't trained to work, they are trained to be proper wives whom will be married off for a handsome dowry. Mother must have wanted a daughter to teach the ways of a women. I can tell she gets exasperated when I am constantly studying the law.

They must have wanted a daughter and just returned from discovering the baby was a boy. So, the correct answer is that they should get rid of the baby. There is no need for another male in this family. So clearly, I should want a baby brother.

I know I am right, I always pass Father's tests.

"No thank you, Father."


	2. The Hospital

A/N: Because this is a modern version of Naruto, the events that take place in the anime will either be adjusted to fit current times, or will cease to exist. One event that has been removed, I apologize in advance, will be the Uchiha massacre. At the same time, however, I am still planning to maintain a lot of the character traits and behaviors from the anime. One thing that I will be attempting to keep consistent is the timeline.

Naruto was released February 15, 2007. At that time in the show, Sasuke was 12 years old, and Itachi was 17. I have back-dated this story to place Sasuke's birth in 1995, with Itachi 5 years older than him.

* * *

 **SUNDAY, JULY 23, 1995**

They say you learn something new every day. What have I learned today? Hospitals are loud. Moments ago, I was sitting in the quiet waiting room, reading my book, _Inside the Works of Civil Law_. Mother won't let me study criminal law yet, which is Father's specialty. Apparently, I'm not ready for it. So, I figure she wants me to be knowledgeable in all other aspects of law before studying what I will actually be needing.

Now, as a nurse is leading me through the halls, I don't expect that I will be finishing my book in Mother's room. Babies are crying, women are screaming, nurses and doctors are scurrying through the halls yelling to each other: I miss the silence in the waiting room. Mother went into labor about five hours ago, but when we had reached the hospital, they immediately took her and father back to a birthing room, leaving me in the waiting room. Apparently, child birth isn't something a five-year-old should witness. Luckily, I had my books with me to keep me busy.

I still don't understand why my parents kept the baby. I was sure I had passed the test. Mother and Father had both smiled approvingly when I told them I did not approve of another male in the family. But sure enough, a baby boy is laying in mother's arms as I walk into the room. Mother named him Sasuke, monkey, because of how much he jumped around in her stomach while she was pregnant. Mother must really love animals, considering she also named me after an animal, a weasel, because I weaseled my way out of her a month early. I would much rather have been named after a famous lawyer, someone like -

"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP" Loud beeps suddenly interrupted my thoughts. I looked over to see Mother in the bed, she is looking very pale suddenly and her arms are losing their grip on Sasuke. Suddenly nurses burst through the door. One grabbed Sasuke from my mother, another grabbed me and shoved me through the door. "Don't worry, sweetie, we'll take care of you mommy. Just head back to the waiting room for a little while and we will get you when she is okay." The nurse said as she shut the door.

First, I can't see the birth. Now, they won't let me know what is going on with Mother. Father is allowed to stay. Perhaps I can ask him later about it, but Father hates when I ask questions. Mother is the one who helps me with all my studies, so that Father isn't disturbed while working. I don't understand why they won't let me know anything. Sure, I'm not studying medicine, but anything I learn now could be useful when I'm older. Sometimes, I take home extra books from the library on medicine to expand my knowledge for this reason. What if I have a case involving a murder? I wouldn't need a professional doctor to understand the autopsy reports. I could become proficient in multiple fields, such as medicine, or technology, for patent law. Then, I wouldn't have to rely on others to do my work.

I sigh dejectedly as I walked back to the waiting room, wondering if mother was going to survive. I had read in one of my medical books about how many women used to die in childbirth, but with modern medicine that risk has been greatly reduced. She had seemed fine when I walked into the room. A little tired, but I believe that is normal. Then again, I haven't studied anything about the actual birthing process. If she died from childbirth, wouldn't that mean she died while giving birth? She was definitely still breathing when I walked into the room, so it must be something else. Maybe she will be fine and just needed some medicine.

As I walk into the waiting room, I notice my previous seat has been occupied, so I move to sit across from the man instead. As I turn my book to where I had left off, I take a second look at the man. I have never seen a person so exotic as him before in Konoha. He is wearing a Japanese military uniform however, so I know he isn't a foreigner. This man has bright blue eyes and shockingly bright blond hair that looks like it has never seen a comb. Apparently, he caught me staring over my book, however, when he looked up from his magazine. "Hey kid, watcha reading there? That's an awful big book for such a little guy."

I simply lifted my book, so he could read the title and resumed my reading. Next thing I knew, there were feet beneath my book. I looked up, noticing he had stood up and walked over to me. He held out his hand, "Hi, I'm Minato, what's your name?"

Clearly, he didn't understand that I just wanted to read my book undisturbed. "Itachi, sir." But, I must be proper and respect my elders, as Mother taught me.

"Mind if I sit with you Itachi?" He didn't wait for an answer and took the seat to my left. "What are you in for? My wife is pregnant, and it is our first check-up. Kushina can be really scary when she is nervous, so I thought it was best to wait out here and let her take out her anxiety on the nurses instead." He raised his hand up to his unruly hair and scratched his head with a wide grin. Clearly his wife isn't the only nervous one.

"Mother just gave birth, but she wasn't doing well afterwards, so the nurses sent me here to wait." I told him.

His hand dropped to his lap and his eyes lost their brightness. "I'm sorry son. I'm sure they will take good care of her. How about you tell me about this book of yours?"

I would much rather read my book than explain it to this stranger. Maybe if I give him a brief synopsis, he will go away. "I'm studying to be a lawyer like Father. This book is on civil law, such as torts, contract law, family law, and personal disputes. I've only just started it, so I can't tell you too much about it yet."

Minato's eyes were opened slightly wide, mumbling, "I thought it was a picture book". After a few moments of him staring, I assumed the conversation was over and went back to reading. "Can you explain to me what a tort is?"

I sighed. I guess the conversation isn't over. "A tort is an infringement of a right that results in injury to another's person, property, reputation, or the like, for which, the injured party is entitled to compensation."

He stared some more. "Have you studied military law?" He then turned his head to look at his hands in his lap, mumbling under his breath, "Not that I'll be in the military much longer with a kid on the way."

"You will lose your VA benefits if you breach your contract." I told him, not sure if I was supposed to hear that last part.

His head whipped around to stare at me again. "How old are you kid?" He asked after a few moments.

I don't understand why adults are constantly asking how old I am. Why does it matter? It should be obvious I'm young. "Five."

"Five," he laughed. "Well, when my kid is five, I hope he is as bright as you are. Don't worry about my contract, I've been in the military longer than you've been alive. I'm just not sure I'm ready to give it up. But I'll do anything for my family, and that includes being there for my kids when they grow up. An old friend of mine has been asking me to replace him so he can retire. It might be about time I take up that position. Do you go to school, kid?"

"No, but I will start at Konoha Academy next year." I told him.

"Really? Well, it looks like I might be your new principal next year, kiddo!" He jumped out of his chair to his feet. Then he brought his hand back up to scratch the back of his head, "Honestly, you could probably just go straight to Konoha High, with your brain."

As I was going to deny the exuberant man, I noticed Father walk briskly into the room. Instead of coming over, he moved towards the exit, barking, "Itachi! We are leaving!"

At this, I jumped out of my chair, and hurried to collect my book to follow Father. When Father is angry, it is best to silently follow his orders.

As we walked towards the door, I heard Minato start behind us, "Excuse me, sir! You son is brilliant, can I -"

Father turned over his shoulder glaring, "I don't care what you have to say about my son." Then he turned to me, "Let's go, boy."

We left the hospital without Mother or Sasuke that day.


	3. Mother?

A/N: This entire story is from the perspective of Itachi, so it will only show his understanding of events. Of course, a normal 5-year-old boy would not normally think like this, but Itachi is a prodigy. This story is to show how overly analytical Itachi is of every situation due to his strict upbringing. Even though he is considered a genius, he often misinterprets normal human interaction and reasoning. This is where Rin comes in.

* * *

 **TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1995**

It has been two days since we left the hospital without Mother or Sasuke. I finally decided to ask Father about what had happened last night before dinner, but he sent me to my room without supper.

This morning, I woke up to the telephone ringing, not an unusual occurrence, because Father is always getting called for work related business. I am not allowed to answer the phone yet, I'm assuming because the mount on the wall is too high for me to reach. As I start to nod back to sleep, I hear father storm out the front door and leave me alone in the house once again. He must have gotten called in on his day off. I'm not concerned about being alone in the house. My parents have trained me to take care of myself since I was three, because they couldn't risk hiring a babysitter who might take advantage of the family. Apparently, when my father was an infant, a babysitter stole some secret documents from Grandfather's house and used them against our firm in trial. They lost that case, and it severely cost the company. Due to this, Mother and Father have prepared me for any case in which I would be left home alone. These past two days have been odd, however, because Father usually tells me where he is going and when to expect him back before leaving. Perhaps Father was in a rush to get to a meeting or something.

The clock is blinking 6:00AM. It is still early, but I cannot go back to sleep now that I am since I am alone in the house. I need to be aware in case something happens. I guess I can read to pass the time. I crawl out of bed and walk over to my bookshelf, noticing that I only have one book left unread. I will need to make a trip to the library later to restock. I put my book next to my chair to be read and moved to the bathroom to freshen up for the day.

* * *

I was in the middle of my reading when I heard the front door open and Father call my name, "Sasuke! Get down here!" I looked at the clock, noticing it only read 7:25AM. Father's meeting must have been short, if he is back so soon. I close my book and put it back on the bookshelf before climbing down the stairs to greet Father. Our house is two levels with the staircase located directly across from the front door. My bedroom and the nursery are located upstairs, with everything else on the main floor.

As I reached the bottom of the staircase and turned to walk into the main room, something was shoved into my arms. Lucky for Sasuke, my natural reflexes are the only thing that kept the baby from falling to the floor. I looked up at Father and noticed a thunderous look on his face. "That thing is your responsibility. I don't want to hear a peep. You feed him, change him, wash him. I do not want to see him. I do not want to hear him. Do you understand?" spoke Father.

"Yes, Father." That was the only response I could give without increasing his anger, but still, I needed to know, "Father, where is mother?"

Sure enough, his face grew red with anger, but I finally received my answer, "Dead! That thing," pointing at Sasuke, "killed your mother. Apparently, it's too late for the hospital to get rid of it, so now it is your responsibility. I will have no part in raising that demon!" He turned on his heel, and stormed off to his office.

I turn to look down at Sasuke in my arms. Miraculously, he was asleep, despite Father's shouting, but who knows how long he will stay silent. I don't know what Father will do if Sasuke starts crying. But, I don't know anything about babies, how will I make him stop crying? How do I feed him without breast milk? How do I change his diaper? I've focused all my time on studying things to help my future career, not how to raise a baby.

I take Sasuke up to my bedroom to sit down while holding him since he is starting to get heavy. Then, I remembered that I still needed to make a trip to the library to restock my books. Of course! The library has everything! Of course, it will have books on raising a child. Sadly, I can only check out up to six books at a time, so I will have to reduce the number of educational books I check out. Maybe, Miss Rin will let me take a few extra books home.

Miss Rin is my favorite librarians at the Konoha Public Library. All the other librarians are convinced that I am "need to be a kid". The first time I went to the library with Mother, they had all been astounded by my knowledge and kept making me read complicated sentences in different books, asking if I could understand them. After that first time, however, they all looked at my mother with disgrace, telling her that she was "ruining my childhood" by teaching me "such advanced material". They don't understand that although it is my duty to follow Father's footsteps, I also greatly enjoy learning. One librarian, Miss Rin, however, understands. She helps me pick appropriate books based off what I have already read and has discussions with me afterwards in case I have any misunderstandings. She has tried to convince me to read some novels for change, but I don't want to fill my book limit with useless books. She told me she could extend my book limit as long as the extra books were fiction rather than educational. I had never taken her up on this offer before, because I didn't want to waste my time on something that isn't even real. Maybe I can convince her to replace those fictional books with books on raising children. Sure they are still educational, but they have nothing to do with me becoming a lawyer.

With this in mind, I moved into the nursery and placed Sasuke in the crib. I found the stroller my Mother had stored away in the closet and carried it downstairs, careful not to hit the rails on the way down. Women in the streets always pushed their babies in strollers. This way, I won't have to carry him all the way to the library and worry about dropping him. Then, I ran back upstairs, grabbing my library books that I planned to return, leaving the one I hadn't finished still on the shelf. I put the books in a shoulder bag, carrying it downstairs to hang the bag on the stroller. On my last trip up the stairs, I grabbed Sasuke, planning to put him in the stroller and start our trek to the library.

This plan failed, however, when I discovered Sasuke was too small to fit in the stroller. Every time I readjusted him, he just fell over, and his head just flopped around. I tried to pull the straps as tight as possible, but he is too small for it to hold him. Clearly, the stroller won't work until he is older; I'll just have to carry him. I picked up Sasuke, grabbed the bag of books and slung it on my shoulder, then moved the stroller out of the way in case Father comes out of his room. Finally, we were ready to go to the library. Luckily the library is only a block away from Uchiha Corp. I'm not sure how long a can carry all this weight.

I pause for a moment on the front porch of the house, realizing I had been so worried about caring for Sasuke, that I had forgotten about Mother. Mother always used to walk me to the library. But now, it's just me and Sasuke. Why is Mother dead? What happened at the hospital? She hadn't finished preparing me for my role in life. I thought people live on Earth until their purpose in life is finished? That is what mother said. She said that once you have completed your role on Earth, you will be taken you to the most amazing place. Your body will be dead, but your soul will live on and you will be happy. What was her purpose in life then, if it wasn't to raise me? Maybe it was Sasuke. Maybe she just needed to have a second son, and that was the end. Now she will be eternally happy.

I looked down at the tiny baby in my arms, wondering why Father is so upset. I considered what I knew. Clearly Sasuke was important because he was Mother's purpose in life. This must be why Mother and Father did not get rid of him. They knew that he had a special purpose. But, Father said that Sasuke killed Mother. Was Sasuke's purpose to kill Mother and Father was mad at him for it? No, that can't be it, Sasuke was taken from Mother at the hospital when she started doing bad, and nothing had happened before that. Why does Father think Sasuke killed Mother? Did something happen after I left the hospital room? Maybe, Miss Rin can help me understand.

Another reason I was happy to live so close to the library is because I noticed a lot of people staring at us. One lady even asked me where my parents were. I just pointed to the library and said I was meeting someone at the library. She looked at me oddly, and stepped back. But, I noticed she had changed directions and was following me from a distance to make. I sped up, not sure what she wanted from me.

The first thing I did after walking into the library was look for Miss Rin. The library usually isn't too busy, so there's only three employees at a time. I found her behind the check-out counter. Luckily, there was no one checking out, so I was able to talk to her. "Miss Rin! Can you help me?"

"Hello Itachi! Is this little Sasuke? He is so tiny! Hang on a sec, let me see if I can find someone to replace me." She then turned and went into the break room. A few moments passed and another librarian walked up the counter to replace Miss Rin, while Miss Rin guided me into one of the study rooms. "Where's your mother, Itachi? I'm surprised to see you out alone with this guy. He must just be a few days old, considering he was still in your mom's tummy last week."

"Mother died in the hospital. I was wondering if you could explain how she might have died to me. I've read about women dying during childbirth, but I saw her after Sasuke was born, and she was fine until they kicked me out. Is it possible Sasuke killed her? I asked.

She pulled me into the room and pushed me into a chair, grabbing Sasuke, "Itachi, I know you are plenty smart, do you really think this little guy killed your mother?"

"No, he's so tiny. I just don't know what happened. One moment, mother is holding Sasuke, perfectly fine. The next moment, the machines are beeping, and the nurse pushes me out of the room. Father won't talk to me about it either. Are there any medical books I could read to see what may have caused her death?"

"Itachi," she sighed, "the answer to life isn't in any book. I'm not sure why your mother died, but I do know that she was a wonderful person, and she gave birth to two lovely sons. As for how she died, it probably was because she was giving birth. Just because someone dies during childbirth, doesn't necessarily mean it was while the baby was coming out. She may have just lost too much blood or something, and the effects didn't reach her until a while after the procedure. Also, your Father is probably grieving, since he just lost the love of his life. Just give him some space for a little while. Are you okay?"

"Mother is in a much happier place now. Sasuke was her goal in life, so now she has moved on. I want to take care of Sasuke because Father is so busy with work all the time. I just don't know how. Would you be able to show me where any books are on child care?

Rin sighed as she rocked Sasuke, "Itachi, you realize, it is not your responsibility to take care of a baby, right? You are five years old. You already focus so much time on reading and learning, you never have time to be a kid for yourself. You don't need to be Sasuke's father, you need to be his big brother. It is your job as a big brother to love and protect him from anything that comes his way. Keep him happy. Never let this beautiful smile disappear." At this, she poked Sasuke's belly.

"Of course, Miss Rin."


	4. First Day of School

A/N: Hey all! Welcome back those of you who have deemed this fic decent enough to continue reading. Because this entire story is basically a prelude to How to Be a Brother, it is only going to be showing snippets of Itachi's childhood. After this chapter, the scenes are going to begin fast forwarding much faster than just a month or two, as it has so far.

Keep the reviews coming! I must admit I didn't think I would be as addicted to checking my email for reviews as I have become. I've had this story idea in my head for a good while now, but I've never been a great writer, so I've been worried to actually write it. I would love to know how to make this fic better, whether it is finding a beta, fixing any grammar mistakes, or fixing any plot holes.

I understand the biggest one is probably that a 6-year-old boy couldn't possibly raise a baby, which is why Itachi basically lives at the library, where there are adults to watch over them both. The librarians are over glorified babysitters, under the impression that the Fugaku doesn't want outsiders in their home, so the kids go to the library while he is at work. They already think that Itachi was raised poorly because he has had no time to be a kid, so they want to try and fix that now that his Mother is gone. You just can't see the librarians thoughts because this is all supposed to be Itachi's point of view, and he doesn't understand that his situation isn't normal.

* * *

School bells rang in the background and children cheered as the first day of school was finally over. The most agonizing 8 hours of my life were finally over, only to start again in 16 more hours.

I had so many questions today, that I am actually concerned I may have forgotten some. Earlier, I asked my teacher for a pen and paper to record my questions, once the day became more confusing. She had already told us to keep our inside voices on today (I assume that means we could only think in our heads, and not speak aloud), so I had decided to wait until the end of the school day to ask my questions. But once she gave me the paper, she stayed to watch me write. I assumed that she would just answer my questions then, so I tried to write quickly. However, after I had written the first question, she took the paper from me and told me to meet with her after class. I don't understand why she gave me the paper, if she didn't want me to write on it.

As she had told me to, I walked to her desk when the bell rang. "Itachi, can you meet me at the principal's office? We need to talk about what you wrote on the piece of paper earlier. I need to talk to a few parents real quick, so I will be there soon."

I nodded and left. Maybe she doesn't know the answer. Of course the principal would be able to answer, right?

When I reached the lobby in front of the principal's office, the receptionist was on the phone and the door to the office was closed. She waved her hand at me towards one of the two chairs in front of the office. I wish I had brought a book from the library with me, I hadn't thought I would have needed it to keep busy at school. If every day is like today was, however, I may need to bring several books with me from now on.

Since Sasuke was born, I have been spending a lot more time at the library, and relying less on books as a source of information. Of course, I'm still studying to become a lawyer, and books are the best way to study old trials and keep up to date with current laws. But, I have started to learn that just knowing the law, isn't enough to become a great lawyer.

Because Mother is no longer around to improve my education, and Father is too busy with work and ignoring Sasuke to help me, I turned to the library as the next best place to learn. Before, Mother and I would never spend more than an hour in the library picking out books and talking with Miss Rin. Mother never really liked to stay due to the other librarians' dislike of her. In the past month, however, I have been spending closer to five or six hours a day at the library. Not only do I have access to many more resources, but I also don't have to worry about watching Sasuke. He has become a large attraction at the library. He tends to sit at the check-out desk with whoever is running it. All of the customers love to play with him. Whenever he starts crying, an employee on break will take him back to the sound-proof break room to feed him or change him. It works perfectly because the women love caring for a baby, while I can spend all of my free time studying my books.

Miss Rin had other plans, however. Miss Rin decided that instead of leaving me to my books in a corner of the library, that she would become my new teacher during her breaks.

Miss Rin and Mother's teaching styles are very different. Mother used to leave me alone to my reading and later quiz me on different cases and laws. It was strictly memorization of these laws and applying them in different situations. Miss Rin, on the other hand, told me to worry about that later, because laws are constantly changing. Instead, she gave me biographies about certain lawyers and the lives they lived. Occasionally, she would give me a documentary to watch on the proceedings of a trial.

From these stories and experiences, I began to realize that the facts and details that I had spent my life trying to memorize, although they are true, will not bring me success in court. Jurys and judges, although they are sworn to the law, do not always listen to the facts. They often listen to their opinions, based off how they individually understood the situation. It is my job as a lawyer to make them see reason, but that cannot be done just by listing facts. They must be able to sympathize with the victim.

This is a large problem for me, because I have not had much interaction with anyone outside of my immediate family. Occasionally, my parents will host a dinner party, but I often spend that time in my room. Miss Rin is the only other person I have gotten to know, and even that is limited. Luckily, she understands my struggle, and has helped me begin to interact with people more often in casual conversation. From talking with the other librarians, to asking someone for help reaching the diapers at the grocery store, to monthly check-ups at the doctor's office, Rin has been alongside, pushing me to become comfortable with talking to strangers.

This is why I had decided to confront my teacher after class with my questions, rather than searching for the answers in my books like I used to. And this time, I was going to do it alone, without Miss Rin's help.

"Itachi! Did you come here just to see me?" I was suddenly enveloped my two strong arms, squeezed into a white jacket with red flames coming off the bottom. I had been too engrossed in my own thoughts to realize the door to the office had opened and the room was now empty.

I looked up to see sparkling blue eyes smiling down at me. I had only seen those eyes once before. "Remember me? Minato? From the hospital? You should see Kushina now, it looks like she might be having twins, she's so big! How about we go into the office and you can tell me what's new with you? How's your baby brother? How's your –"

It was the odd guy from the hospital. How could anyone possibly forget this man. It seems like it wasn't nerves at the hospital, this guy just really likes to talk. I forgot he had said he would be my principal this year. As I pondered how such a boisterous person could be a principal, let alone the military, he guided me into his office and took a seat at his desk.

"Sir," I began as I sat down across from him in his office, "I have some questions I wanted to ask, if you don't mind." I cut straight to the point, realizing after the words had come out that I hadn't responded to any of his own questions.

He just smiled and leaned back in his chair, resting both of his hands behind his head, "Sure Itachi, what would you like to know?" He asked.

Alright, first questions, "Sir, what is the point of school?"

He laughed, and clasped his hands in front of him, leaning forward on the desk, "What do you mean, 'What's the point of school', you're here to learn, of course!"

Learn? That's what I had thought, but after today, I have my doubts. I just wasted 8 hours of my day introducing myself to a bunch of other kids my age and playing games to 'get to know each other better'. Sure, I learned what everyone's favorite colors are, but that isn't anything useful. Maybe I should rephrase my question. "Sir, -"

I was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in!" Called Principal Uzumaki.

My teacher walked into the office and took the seat next to me. "Hello, Principal Uzumaki. Your secretary informed me that Itachi was in here with you. Itachi and I need to show you something."

Well, that was rude. First, she interrupts our conversation without apologizing, then she sits down without asking permission? Sure, she owes me no respect, but shouldn't she owe some to the principal? Looking over at him, he didn't seem to care, however, he just had a curious look on his face with his ever-present smile.

Finally, she finished rummaging through her purse and straightened back up holding the piece of paper I had written on earlier. She placed it in front of me, "Itachi, could you please read this aloud for Principal Uzumaki?"

I looked up from the paper I was holding, first to my teacher, then to Mr. Uzumaki, confused why she wanted me to ask him the same question I had already asked. Then again, she wasn't in here when I asked it. "Miss, I –"

"You can read it, right Itachi?" She interrupted me.

She must really enjoy interrupting me.

I sighed, knowing she wouldn't let me say anything else, so I read from the paper, "What is the point of school?"

I looked up again. Mr. Uzumaki was looking puzzled, but I don't blame him, so was I. My teacher however, was looking very proud of herself for some reason.

Principal Uzumaki scratched his head. "Okay, I give up, what's this about? Didn't you just ask me that, Itachi?" He turned to me.

I opened my mouth to reply, but was interrupted once again, "Sir, didn't you see how well he read that, he even wrote it himself." My teacher grabbed the paper from my hands and shoved it towards Principal Uzumaki, "look at his handwriting, it looks like an adult's."

He laughed as he grabbed the paper, "Oh! That's what this is about! I'm sorry, I should have warned you before Itachi came to class, I've just been so overwhelmed with settling in, that I must have forgotten." What did he understand? I have no idea what they are so happy about. "Itachi is a very gifted student. I actually met him at the hospital not to long ago, when Kushina had a check-up. He was reading a book this thick," He opened his fingers, exaggerating the width of my book. "and he even gave me a lecture on military law."

I did no such thing. All I did was warn him not to break his contract if he wanted to keep his benefits. I opened my mouth to tell him so, but, yet again was interrupted. I may as well just remain silent, seeing as my opinion isn't wanted in this conversation. Father often gets mad at me when I speak at one of his or Mother's dinner parties, so I've become really good at remaining silent during conversations. But, since this conversation seems to be about me, shouldn't they want my opinion?

"You know about military law?" My teacher turned to me. At this point, I knew she wasn't expecting an actual answer, so I remained silent. Sure enough, she continued on, "I didn't realize he was that far ahead. I was just going to suggest that we give him special permission to go to the school's library." We need permission to read books? "He must be one of those genius children that I've heard about in the news. Should we move him ahead in classes? I've never had a student so advanced in first grade before, I'm unsure of the procedure. If he is that far ahead, I really feel like he should to be pushed more." All I did was write a question on a piece of paper, and she wants me to move to a more advanced class. Then again, Principal Uzumaki had mentioned the possibility of me skipping ahead to high school before. I had thought he was joking. Is Konoha Acemy really this far behind in its education program? What six-year-old is unable to read and write? I learned as soon as I could walk. More questions swirled through my head as I sat in silence.

"And that's exactly what I thought!" Exclaimed Principal Uzumaki. He sat back in his chair with his arms across his chest. "I questioned the school board last week when we were renewing the school policies. Sadly, one policy that did not get changed is early advancement of students. We needed a three-fourths vote to change the rule and I was only able to convince one other that it should be allowed. I told them all about Itachi, but they said that he needs to grow up with children his own age and it isn't fair to the older students if he were to be placed with them. Apparently, they think that he will be able to help motivate his classmates to become like him, and if he gets placed in an older class, the older kids will become depressed that someone younger than them is smarter."

"But that's not how children his age learn. They don't care enough about education to push each other. At least not until middle school, which is where he should be placed. If he is put with older students, he will push them to do better.

"Sadly, it isn't up to us." He sighed, turning to me, "Sorry, Itachi, is that why you were asking about the point of school earlier, you don't think you will learn anything do you?"

A direct question, does that mean I can finally speak? I paused a moment for confirmation, but realized both of their heads were turned towards me.

"Yes sir. I'm confused, though. Why wouldn't my classmates be able to read or write? Shouldn't they have already learned? I don't think I deserve to move ahead of my classmates, I just want to know why school isn't teaching us new material." I tilted my head, even more confused than when I had walked into the office.

"Itachi, what do you think you should be learning in first grade?" He asked me.

"Well, everyone studies their Father's trade, right? And since we all have different families, each of my classmates are studying different trades. So school is just a community learning center for things such as technical writing and advanced mathematics. Things that most fields will end up using, that everyone can learn together. This way our parents don't have to waste time teaching us these common knowledge things."

My teacher turned to me looking offended for some reason, "What about your Mother? Why can't you follow her footsteps?"

"Mother is dead." I told her, "Anyways, women are supposed to raise their children, they aren't meant to work. That's what you are doing right? You are teaching us, since you don't have your own children? Same with all the librarians at Konoha Library. The library is a place of common education, so they are just helping educate everyone in place of their own children. That's the role of a woman, right? To educate, and to raise children?"

I think I made my teacher even more angry with my answer. Her face has turned red, but as she opens her mouth to speak, Mr. Uzumaki turned to her saying, "Now, now, I don't think he meant it like that. Do you mind waiting in the hall? I think I should talk to Itachi alone for a little while. I can meet with you alone afterwards; it shouldn't take much longer. Itachi probably needs to get home for dinner." He told my teacher. She stood up harshly, grabbing her bag and left.

Principal Uzumaki wheeled his chair around his desk to sit next to me. I turned my chair to face him. He put his hand on my leg, "Itachi, I'm so sorry about your mom. Are you okay?"

"Yes sir," I replied, "Mother lived a great life and is in a happier place now."

"That's right, Itachi" He smiled, but his eyes lacked their usual sparkle. "Itachi, I need you to understand that your family thinks differently than the rest of Konoha. I grew up with your Father, and I know that he said all that about women. But, in Konoha, many women do work, and they get offended when men say that they can't. Can you understand that for me?"

"But why would they get upset? Don't they like having kids and teaching?" That's how I had always understood it.

"Not exactly. What if someone said that you couldn't study law, just because you were male, would you get offended?" I nodded. "Not all women want to have children, or just be house maids. Some of them enjoy things like architecture, or engineering, or even law. I know you like to read. How about, the next time you go to the library, you find a book about a female lawyer, then you can tell me if you think females are less able to work than men."

I never said that females were less than men. I just thought they enjoyed raising kids more than working. Is that what Father thinks? That even though women enjoy working as much as men, they don't deserve that enjoyment? Is this one of the 'normal human behaviors' that Miss Rin said I don't understand right? She always said that the Uchiha family thought they were better than everyone else, although, I'm not sure I was supposed to hear her say that. Do women actually enjoy working? Did Mother want to work? Maybe Principal Uzumaki is right; I need to talk to Miss Rin about this. "Yes sir, I can look at the library later today."

"Good, one more thing before you go Itachi. Another difference between Konoha and the Uchiha district is how children are raised. You may have been raised to study law from the time you were born, but most of the children here don't follow their parent's careers. They actually don't even decide what they want to study until high school or college. It isn't normal for children your age to focus on education. Sure, most of your classmates can likely read some words and can write their letters, but they are no where as advanced as you are. I would love to move you into high school, so that you could be pushed in your education, but the school won't allow me to. Instead, how about you grab some extra books from the library tomorrow, and you can bring those to school with you to study during class instead. Would that be alright? I can also give you a pass to the school library, if you would like."

After today, I had already planned to bring my own books. I hadn't realized I would need permission just to read in school. I nodded my head, "Yes sir, am I dismissed?"

"You are free to go, Itachi." I turned to leave his office with the new library pass in my back pocket. On my way out, I said good-bye to my teacher, who was looking much less red. She simply said, "See you tomorrow, Itachi!" I waved good-bye, and left the building.

I checked the time on my watch to see that I had 15 minutes left to pick up Sasuke before they called Father. I couldn't let that happen, so I started jogging towards the child development center. Miss Rin had realized that Sasuke would need a place to go since I would be in school all day, and I had already told her about the problem with letting babysitters in our house. So, she set Sasuke up at a child development center across the road from the library, where Sasuke could go during the day, as long as he was picked up before 5:00PM.

At first, I had thought the day care was a great idea, because it would let Sasuke grow up with the other students and basically make connections with people his own age early in life. Mother and Father hadn't allowed me much access to other children my own age before. I had never understood why, but now I am beginning to think that they didn't want me distracted from my studies. After my conversation with Principal Uzumaki, it seems like their sheltering hadn't been to prevent me from making business connections, but it been to convince me that the Uchiha lifestyle is the only lifestyle.

Why does my family think it is so much better than everyone else that they wouldn't let me interact with other Konoha citizens? Why does my family think it is so much better than everyone else that we live completely segregated from the rest of the city? Maybe it is better for Sasuke to grow up with these other children and learn their understanding of life, rather than the Uchiha's. Maybe he will be able to teach me to be 'normal'.

*Just like your tradition of following your Father's footsteps, Kushina's family has a tradition of the male taking the females last name.

*How do you know of our family tradition?

*Well, your brother told me about it.

*Well, my brother tells a lot of lies. I wouldn't trust him if I was you

8:00

4:00


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